blonde poker forum

Hello and welcome!

We're back at DT (http://www.dusktilldawnpoker.com/)D (http://www.dusktilldawnpoker.com/) to oversee the important business of deciding who will be the champ of the latest £300 freezeout.

Leading the pack is Te Ng Cao whose cup is veritably flowing over with chips but there are plenty of hopefuls still in the hunt hoping to topple him in what should prove a fascinating day's play.

For those who like a complete picture of what is going on, here are the full counts.


Te Ng Cao   11   6   72900
Nick (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2490) Carter (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2490)   12   9   55600
Mark Roberts   11   8   54400
Narciso Baldo   14   6   54200
Ian King   15   8   51100
David (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2162) Smith (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2162)   15   7   51100
Dean Ellis   12   1   50100
Paul Pitchford   12   6   48200
Paul (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=324) Garnham (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=324)   15   6   46000
Tom Cairns   11   4   38800
Peter Conduit   11   1   36400
Demetrios Nikolaidis   11   5   36000
Alan Stokes   14   3   35100
James Moult   15   9   33700
George (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2106) Kennedy (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2106)   12   4   31000
Matt (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2115) Russell (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2115)   11   9   30700
Richard (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1689) Berridge (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1689)   15   5   29600
Kevin Pearce   12   8   24600
Thomas Walters   12   5   24200
Philip Clarke   14   7   23200
Trevor (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1569) Pearson (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1569)   12   3   22300
Lee Rawson   15   3   22000
Ralph (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=357) Shalson (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=357)   14   1   20900
Ashley Smith   14   8   20500
Jason Wong   15   2   20200
Mark Lewis   14   4   19500
Justin Davies   14   2   16300
Junood Miah   14   9   16300
Scott Genever   12   7   14500
Chris Cancelliere   15   4   13900
Lee Nayler   11   7   12600
Liaquat Javed   11   3   10800
Hiren (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2112) Kanabar (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2112)   11   2   10500
John Maddison   14   5   10200

Feel free to cheer on your favourite players, relations or %s and as always throw any requests for player chip counts or similar our way and myself and Jen will do our utmost to bring this information to you.

So sit back, relax and enjoy. There's fireworks in the offing and Mr Trumper is just about to light the fuse...

berridge ftw
(and the % obv,lol)

good luck also to teng(as he is known to us),pete conduit,jay wong,Dave (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=115) Smith (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=115) and ralph

oh and philip clarke one of the funniest people i know

Aha aha aha. I spam you!!!

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=36682.0

Aha aha aha.

bok from oooops

gogogogogo Nick (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2490) Carter (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2490)! 1 time ship it!

Er, yes, Berridge was a super-early casualty, along with Ralph Shalson (one day, I will see him play a hand, this I swear) and slightly more recently Mark Lewis.  I was expecting carnage on a much wider scale, however, and the last 15 minutes of play have been mainly raisey-foldy preflop hands.

Have you got a steak in him for this one?

LOL wish i had mate! hes due a big juicy cash!

If you were a medium, you could predict a win with rare confidence until you were blue in the face and I'd say well done.

;marks;

can you wish Paul (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=324) Garnham (http://http:/ww.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=324) good luck from please.

cheers

vinny

yep ;marks;

Looking around for action, and finding none which will exactly enthrall you, yet, I have made a small study of the early, mid and late chip leaders, and noted that while some are dressed pretty much identically to yesterday, making identification nice and easy, others have done a 180 and come in looking like their own evil twin...

Fig. a) Dave (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=115) Smith (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=115), had chips all along, mulberry sweater distinctive even if he wasn't always wearing that hat. Same clothes rating: 9/10

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20790&g2_serialNumber=1)

Fig. b) Te Ng Cao, accumulated chips consistently, aggressively, and calmly.  Wears Back-to-the-Future style jacket, and has opted to up the ante with eye-opening yellow T-shirt.  Same clothes rating: 7/10  (PS Can I just tip this guy to win right now?  Thanks.)

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20788&g2_serialNumber=1)

Fig. c) Alan Stokes.  Bit of an unknown quantity, had more chips earlier, but still in contention and appears full of confidence.  Looks like whatever bet he lost yesterday was a short lived forfeit - now looking more like retired crime boss than floral-print afficionado.  Same clothes rating: 1/10

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20792&g2_serialNumber=1)

Lee Rawson is OUT, and none too pleased about it.  Nothing seemed to go right for Mr. Rawson today - coming  back with just over 20k I saw a couple of hands go a little pear-shaped, one of which added a few chips to the Stack of Smith.  Dave Smith limped, and small blind Rawson completed, the big blind checked.
Flop:  8s kh 5s  check-check-check.
Turn: 6s check-check-check.
River: Ad check-check-bet 2,200.

Lee called the river bet, only to be shown the Ahrt 5h of Dave Smith, at which he threw his hand with some force into the muck, with an expression more full of thunder than the sky over Nottingham the last few days.  Feeling that so intently, there's no wonder his actual exit, which saw him outdrawn as Ac Jh made a rivered straight (that of Ian Kng) sent him into near-chair-tipping frustration, and I know a bad word when I hear one...

Hey Jen can you get a pic of my buddy Nick Carter and pass on my good luck from Danny Boy is Australia!

Cheers

Robert Ballou is another early victim, seeing a flop with A-K, he was pretty happy to see a King on the flop.

Unbeknownst to him, this was the worst posible card that could have been dealt his opponent held pocket Kings, leaving him feeling a misplaced sense of confidence whilst simultaneously drawing virtually dead.

The chips went in, but Robert went out.

---

We're at that point of the tournament where blind stealing becomes of great importance and Dave Smith is one of those taking advantage of this.

He has a lofty tower of chips at his disposal and is making fairly regular raises which, with the blinds now at 800 1,600 - 200, means he's picking up over 4k every time he does this.

Sounds like a good idea to me...

(http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/images/pyramid_dollar.png)

Pyramidal power gives Cairns Confidence.

As you can see, sort of, Tom Cairns' card protector is some kind of crystal pyramid, guarding his stack which has actually stayed pretty level today.  Qualifying online, and having an eye for added value which can't be beat (he once sniffed out a satellite with a guaranteed seat in which he made up 25% of the field  :o   ) he seemed keen to have his picture taken before he lost all his chips.  Or so he said last night - it looks like his chips aren't going anywhere too fast.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20802&g2_serialNumber=1)

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20800&g2_serialNumber=1)

"Did you manage to get that picture just as I made a face?"
"Yes.  Thanks!"

Same Clothes rating: 10/10

Nick's going along well with 50k or so to his name at the moment.

Here he is with his meaty stack...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20808&g2_serialNumber=1)

Short stacks bust on all sides - first off John Maddison moved in pre with his c.12k, as one does when finding Ad 9c.  He stood up sharpish when Ian King in the blind instacalled, and he was right - he was in bad shape against Ts Td.  No Ace or weird straight or club fourflush (I think that's it for his get-outs) and he was on the rail.

Then even shorter stacked Liaquat Javed moved in on the button, and it must have been a big blind autocall for Lee Nayler as he flipped 9d 5d to Javed's Aspades 2s.
Flop:  5h 2d 8d
Turn: 6s
River: Kc

Down to 25...

It may yet be somewhat premature to get all excited by possible financial rewards, but here's the payout anyway - still less than half the remaining field are going to get any return on their weekend's investaments...

1   -   £11,130
2   -   £6,678
3   -   £4,452
4   -   £2,862
5   -   £2,067
6   -   £1,590
7   -   £1,113
8   -   £795
9   -   £636
10   -   £477

LoL any pun intended?

Thanks for this!

Justin Davies just survived an all-in confrontation, though he was well equipped to do so.

Raising from UTG, he found Marcisso Baldo re-raising him and the chips then flew in. Baldo might have hoped he was in reasonable shape with his A-K, but if so, he was in for a rude awakening as Davies showed down Aces and he was in no mood to wish his opponent luck.

"Let's see you outdraw this!" he snarled venemously as the more controlled Baldo just watched the flop carefully.

A flop of Q-8-4-J threatened an upset but an Ace on the river, whilst improving both players' hands, changed nothing, allowing Davies to triumphantly, if a little ungallantly, sweep up the chips, preforming a little jig of joy (yes really!)  as he did so.

While the last flurry of short stack shoves ended in a shortening of the field, in the last minutes before the current *********BREAK********* players have been getting their bets through, whether pre or post flop. 

Matt Russell, for example - I saw him shove pre twice, uncalled.  He says he hasn't been doing that every hand, though, just those times.  Although he admitted his hands may not have been premium.  Word from his table is that Te Ng is making life very difficult for everyone else.  "He's using his stack really well.  Pressure on all the time - plus 4k to go preflop every single hand."  Nevertheless, a grinning Matt isn't downhearted, and, jovially calling Te Ng Cao a rude name, headed off for the break.

Alan Stokes' stack has fallen from its earlier heights to the point where he is shoving on a Qc 9s 7d flop with absolute air... it got through two opponents, but he's still struggling a little...

Here are the current chip standings at the first break, thanks to DTD.

22 players are still in the hunt at the 1k - 2k - 200 level.

Ian King   14   1   115700
Te Ng Cao   11   6   90600
Dean Ellis   12   1   83400
Paul Pitchford   12   6   69900
Philip Clarke   14   7   68000
James Moult   14   4   56500
David Smith   12   2   54500
Mark Roberts   11   8   52500
Nick Carter   12   9   51600
Paul Garnham   12   5   50800
George Kennedy   12   4   42700
Hiren Kanabar   11   2   42200
Justin Davies   14   2   38800
Tom Cairns   11   4   33500
Demetrios Nikolaidis   11   7   23600
Jason Wong   12   3   23400
Peter Conduit   11   1   22100
Ashley Smith   14   8   21800
Alan Stokes   14   3   21600
Matt Russell   11   9   20400
Junood Miah   14   9   18500
Narciso Baldo   14   6   16200
Kevin Pearce   12   8   14700
Lee Nayler   11   5   11300
Scott Genever   12   7   10700

Can you tell Matt to pull his finger out (and wish him good luck at the same time)?

That guy is seriously annoying and I was almost, almost that is, pleased to get eliminated as he was sat to my immediate left.

Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaads!

Here's Jason Wong, with his much happier 48k stack after four fours for the win...  A couple of limpers limped, including then CL Teng Cao, and Wong squeezed with his whole stack holding 4d 4c.  Cao called, as you do with Aspades Ad... but quad Fours popped out to drop Cao to 78k and put Wong right back in the game...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20820&g2_serialNumber=1)

This was immediately followed by another 10k hit to Cao, sustained when he raised to 10k in the small blind, only to find big blind Demetrios Nikolaidis moving in for 28,600 total - just too much for him to find a call.

Justin is Served...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20822&g2_serialNumber=1)

Not dancing after a small but clearly irritating outdraw knocked 9,800 off his stack.  He called the preflop autoshove of Narciso Baldo (below) who flipped 8d 9s to Justin Davies' Qd Ks.  "Eight nine?" he commented with just a trace of scorn, before requesting, "Put a King down there, please."
Flop:  Qc Ts 8h
Turn: 8s
River: 5c

Double through for the shrugging Baldo.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20824&g2_serialNumber=1)

A certain caginess appears to be pervading the arena now as the final table draws closer. Raises are fewer and further between, with players tending to show down big hands when their raises are almost always not called.

A sense of quiet hangs over the tables with conversation and chatter a rarity, consisting of just a few terse exchanges when the quiet is broken momentarily. The tension is growing as the stakes rise...

The ultimate victor may be the player who adjusts to these conditions bests and grasps the nettle with most authority...

wish kev pearce good luck plz from me .

Weird 60k pot makes its way to James Moult... Ian King opened preflop (8k, just as the blinds were about to go up to 1,200/2,400/300) - he pushed in 26k, pretty much his whole stack of green 1k chips, leaving him under 18k behind.  I was just about to note down the on-their-backs details, when King suddenly flat called.
Flop: 2h 6h Ac

Here's the moment post flop where King is considering James Moult's move all in (which he must, surely, have been expecting), the pot laid in neat little rows, Moult having taken the pressure off himself somewhat by shoving as soon as it was checked to him, and now just sitting waiting for the result...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20836&g2_serialNumber=1)

Which was that Ian King passed. 

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20838&g2_serialNumber=1)

Wong Side Of The Coin

And almost as if it was heralded by me, the all powerful cat (er....), the quiet is broken in dramatic fashion as Tom Cairns pushes his stack over the top of a Wong cut-off raise.

He has just about enough chips to make Wong pass, but Wong had some sort of a hand and made the call with A-T...

Cairns was not in bad shape though, with a hand himself in pocket eights and now both players were forced to subvert their will to that of the poker gods to see who had been a good boy and would thus be thus permitted to run good.

Sadly for Cairns, it appeared it was he who hadn't been keeping his bedroom tidy and washing behind his ears as a ten on the flop put Wong firmly in the driver's seat and it was a position he didn't relinquish as the rest of the board blanked out, leaving a disapponted Tom Cairns to depart the tournament, his dreams of an impressive spin up from a small satellite in tatters.

Wong meanwhile, fresh from picking up his Dubai looky-likey award yesterday has added yet further to his stack and is looking better and better placed all the time...

Short Stack Watch

Nope, too late for that - my photos are going to have to go on "Just Busted Watch" instead...

Just when Narciso Baldo was looking like his short stack was armoured (last saw him splitting a pot all in with Ahrt Th vs. Ac Qs as the board double paired) he got it all in again with Jh 9c, looked up by 8s 8c.  This time there was no getting out of jail, and he heads off.

Also, Peter Conduit (below) was holding on gamely to a lot of small denomination chips which still only equalled half a short stack, and those went somewhere recently.  Sorry, not sure where.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20840&g2_serialNumber=1)

In fact, the only short stack still in after I uploaded these photos is George Kennedy.  Now they're down to two tables there's a slight easing of pressure on the smaller stacks as they're no longer short handed, but still, I don't reckon the action will grind to anything like a halt until they get to the final  ;whistle;

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20842&g2_serialNumber=1)

gl to Jim Moult.

We are spoiled here at DTD with the full counts every break etc. so I thought I would give it a go actually using eyes to count chip stacks (which are changing around at a frightening rate at the moment) to sort of keep you up to date:

12   1   Dean Ellis -- 45,500
12   2   David Smith -- OUT, in dramatic fashion, with much commotion, being investigated
12   3   Te Ng Cao -- 105,000
12   4   George Kennedy -- 45,000
12   5   Hiren Kanabar -- 46,000
12   6   Paul Pitchford -- 62,000
12   7   Paul Garnham -- 42,800
12   8   Kevin Pearce -- 33,900
12   9   Nick Carter -- 130k+ - mid raking in an enormous pool of chips...

14   1   Ian King -- 50,000
14   2   Justin Davies -- 65,000
14   3   Demetrios Nikolaidis -- 26,000
14   4   James Moult -- 19,000
14   5   Matt Russell -- 67,000
14   6   Jason Wong -- 90,000
14   7   Philip Clarke -- 80,000
14   8   Ashley Smith -- 37,100
14   9   Junood Miah -- 120,000

(http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:glq_5jMVG0QU7M:http://www.trancewave.com/novalounge/blog/images/chicken.suit.jpg)

bok, bok-bok-bok

Junood Miah didn't have a massive stack a few moments ago, but his fortunes appear to have turned round courtesy of those beloved bullets poker players seem so keen on getting.

I joined the hand on the river of a 3-4-5-8-8 board, Miah's AA having conquered, and avoided the spliit outs of James Moult's A-Q.

Here he is gleefully sweeping up his new found assortment of chips at this crucial juncture of the tournament whilst a disconsolate Moult can only dream of what once was but no longer is, but yet still might be.

(If he can double through a couple of times of course...)

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20844&g2_serialNumber=1)

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20846&g2_serialNumber=1)

Any details on this hand?

Gogogogo Nick!!

Sorry none yet, we're working on it, suffice to say it was the hand that sounded the death knell for Dave Smith, whose tournament was brought to a crashing halt.

It appeared Nick had walked away from the table, facing an all-in confrontation versus Smith, only to be summoned back as he hit the required card(s) to keep him in the tournament and move his stack up to stratospheric levels.

More details as and when they arrive.

Good work keep it up!

gogogo Nick Carter, win it alllllllll.

Going to bed now so can you tell Nick Carter to get it won!

Will catch up with the updates when i get up!

Cheers.

A couple of hands to report, replete with showdowns (sort of) and flops, and betting, and all that good stuff...

Justin Davies limps (for the second hand running) as does Jason Wong and Philip Clarke; Ian King checks his big blind.
Flop:  3c 6c 9c Check round to Philip Clarke who bets 15k.  Ian King thinks and then calls, while the others fold.
Turn: Jh  Check to Clarke again, who just pushes the rest in - it's a quite considerable 59,100.  King does a few of the standard "I'm concerned about this," gestures, like hands-behind-head, sighing, etc. before giving it up.

On the other table, Teng Cao (we just don't know the correct spelling of his name - should we just trust the Hendon Mob, or go with the tripartite version on the list here?  Who can say.  Probably him.  We'll ask him in the break) built back his stack after some early setbacks, but just now I saw him betting out on a board of 3c Ac 8c 3s, called by button-weilding opponent Nick Carter.
River: 9s   Out bets Cao - 10k, instacalled by Carter.  Teng Cao gives up the ghost immediately, mucking his hand and raising an eyebrow at Nick's Jd 8d, which was clearly good.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20862&g2_serialNumber=1)

Nick Carter has seen his stack fluctuate marginally over the last few hands.

First off, he raised from UTG+1 on M3boy's blind to 10k, only for George Kennedy to dwell from late position before ultimately passing as did the Pitchford and M3boy in the blinds.

As Carter flipped over pocket Tens, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at Kennedy passing..."I didn't want to see a flop!"

He then lost a few chips in a blind battle with Dean Ellis, paying off Ellis turned trip Queens to the tune of 4k or so...

Tell Matt 'EvilPie' Russell to get it won, and remind him of my 10% (he's probably forgotten about that).

Unlucky bookiebasher, I'm sure you're going to take one of these down very soon.

Ashley Smith has bitten the big one, taking on Justin Davies in a preflop battle with A-Q, only to run headfirst into Davies' dominating A-K.

A flop of 7-2-K-7-K gave Davies a decisive full house to send Smith to the rail. No jig of joy this time, just a quiet "unlucky mate" as he swept up the chips and aggregated them with his stack.

Here is Ashley shooting off after falling so close to the final hurdle.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20864&g2_serialNumber=1)

Whilst Davies appears to have calmed down a little since earlier and is patiently stacking the chips his big slick gifted him...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20866&g2_serialNumber=1)

*********************BREAK**********************

A few chips drift to Paul Pitchford as he limps pre, then moves in when big blind George Kennedy raises to 13k.  Kennedy seriously looks tempted, but decides against it.

It also looks like Junood Miah has really taken the brakes off, as I saw him raise preflop, with no contest, at least three times out of the last nine hands.  A big stack, and with the blinds at 1.5k/3k, getting bigger.

could you wish paul "m3boy" garnham the best of luck please.


am i allowed to say his name? or is he the new mick mcbag? he who cannot be named? if thats the case please ignore lol im all confused!


good luck paul

WB

;bp;

Straight away after the players reconvene, a big pot between Ian King and Philip Clarke ended up with one of them stacked up, and one on the felt... it was a flop of Aspades Js 2s which did it all - after (I think) King had called a preflop re-raise from Clarke, it took just two bets and a call to get both big stacks in the middle.
Clarke:  Ac Kh
King:  Jc Jd

The flopped set stayed good, and he's up over 160k while Clarke is in the unenviable position of having to move in pre now, having had chips all day.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20872&g2_serialNumber=2)

Double Up for Matt Russell...

Railer Fran caught the whole thing, while I just saw the aftermath - Matt stacking a healthy stack for what I think is the first time today...  He'd moved in with Kc Jc, called by the Aspades Ks of Philip Clarke.  I am sure he thought it was wrapped up fairly tight then, and surely snugger than a spidersilk cocoon on the Ahrt Kd 5c flop.
Turn: 6c
River: 7c

"Good, aren't I?" says Matt.

Hiren Kanabar just pushed his meagre stack into the middle, getting a call from both the small blind and the big blind, Dean Ellis and the chipped-up and accomplished Teng Kao...

A 7h 9s Qc 9h 6h board was checked down to the river, Ellis finally checking only for Kao to bet out 6k.

"I call...King flush..." he announced to Tao's surprise, who also flipped over a flush albeit the smaller 2h 3h, and was no doubt highly convinced that he was in the lead...

All this amusment and commotion somewhat overshadowed the fact that Kanabar's A-8 was now no good, meaning he joins the rail, his hand coming in last in the 3 man race.

Here is Teng explaining the sick heart river card to Fran Creed on the rail whilst a mean looking Ellis pretends not to be looking at the camera as he sweeps in the pot.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20874&g2_serialNumber=1)

13 players now remain and the final is drawing ever closer...

lol skillz

Dean Ellis (as posted just previously by JC looking sultry) just busted Kevin Pearce in 13th spot - so close to the money - with a pretty nasty one.  Ellis had raised pre to 11,500, and when small blind Pearce moved in for just 20k total, he wasn't really ever going anywhere - even though it turned out that his Qd Td was in pretty poor shape against Pearce's Ahrt Qh.
Flop:  9s 6d Ts
Turn: Tc
River: 2s

Kevin took it very well, "Good lucking" his opponents, some of whom are necessarily going to make the money he so nearly nosed into.  Hard luck, sir.

You can wish anyone luck you like, including McBag, that dude that was dancing in victory earlier who seems to have annoyed half the forum, or someone who isn't playing in the comp...

But here's Paul, looking pretty focused as he maintains a stack that's never reached stratospheric heights, but doesn't really look like it's going anywhere pre-bubble.  64k currently.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20876&g2_serialNumber=1)

Not too sure if my WB has been recieved in the wrong context here as have recieved a question pm regarding it. I ment WB to ITB swry if miss understood.

CHIP COUNTS

Table M3

12   1   Dean Ellis -- 172k
12   2   Ian King -- 160k
12   3   Te Ng Cao -- 95k
12   6   Paul Pitchford -- 58k
12   7   Paul Garnham -- 50k
12   9   Nick Carter -- 116k


14   2   Justin Davies -- 54k
14   4   James Moult -- 43k
14   5   Matt Russell -- 89k
14   6   Jason Wong -- 45k
14   7   Philip Clarke -- 40k
14   9   Junood Miah -- 110k

Paul's not having that easy a Bubbletime - short handed his table has a good deal more chips on it than the other one, and the leaders aren't as shy as some when it comes to putting the shorter stacks to the test.  The pesky Teng Cao just announced all in from the big blind after Paul made it 12k to go preflop.  He considered it for a good while, before letting it go and keeping a sure 50k rather than risking it all just before the money.  To be fair, we have no idea what he was raising with, but he looked like he was really considering it...

12 we had 30 minutes ago and 12 remain still, with the shortstacks unwilling to put their tournaments on the line just before the money spots...

THEN M3boy springs into action like a little cougar pouncing on a rabbit.

Folded to him on the button he pushes his entire 50k stack over the line and...the blinds fold, keeping Paul alive for now...

Every decision is crucial in the player's minds now. With 3k 6k 600 blinds there is 12,600 in the pot every hand so a standard raise and call now means it's hard to bet anything less than your stack on the flop for most of the players.

Putting one foot wrong can mean two days' hard work is undone at a single stroke, so every decision is being deliberated and thought over carefully by many of the players.

It's tense folks...

(http://www.tinkworld.com/images/paparazzi-03.jpg)

Jim Moult busts Justin Davies in 12th place...

Davies moved in preflop with Ad Qh - fair enough, not that many chips kicking about that end of the table, but next to act Jim Moult, before looking at his cards, said, "I have a feeling I've got something," before picking up Ahrt Aspades... yep, that was something all right.  "You and your feelings," commented neighbour Matt Russell.

This is it, 11 left... who will be riding the bubble car of defeat to Loserville, and who will be one step closer to moving to Cash Street and a seat on the Final Table residents' association?

(http://www.germes-online.com/direct/dbimage/50162350/R_C_Flashing_Bubble_Car.jpg)

(http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/7301/bigsplifyh4.png)

I read good.  I thought Jim had busted out!

Come on Matt and Jim!!!

Your unfortunate bubbler, after putting up a strong performance all day, was Mr. Jason Wong, who, seeing as there is now a break, gets the unfortunate honour of being photoshopped to keep me alert...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20892&g2_serialNumber=1)

nice one paul now get it won!

That elimination of Wong on the bubble meant we were in the money but not quite down to the final 9.

This happened shortly afterwards as Paul Garnham knocked out Teng Cao, the erstwhile chip leader.

Teng Cao is OUT, eliminated in 10th spot, winning £477

Seats 1 and 2 - Ian King and Nick Carter -

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20894&g2_serialNumber=1)

So Teng's elimination meant we had our final 9 players, and here are the those feisty few who have battled gamely through to the final.

11   1   Ian King
11   2   Nick Carter
11   3   Junood Miah
11    4       Philip Clarke
11   5   Matt Russell
11   6   Dean Ellis
11   7   James Moult
11   8   Paul Pitchford
11   9   Paul Garnham

Seat 3: Junood Miah

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20896&g2_serialNumber=1)

Seat 4: Philip Clarke (yes, this picture doesn't bode well for him still being in...)

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20898&g2_serialNumber=1)

Seat 5:  Matt Russell

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20900&g2_serialNumber=1)

Seat 6: Dean Ellis

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20902&g2_serialNumber=1)

Chip counts?

;goodluck; to Matt and Jim.

Seats 7 and 8: James Moultn and Paul Pitchford

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20904&g2_serialNumber=1)

The final table has already been witness to some exciting action, Philip Clarke moving over the top of a late position raise from Nick Carter...

Unfortunately for him, Carter wasn't at it and called with eights, leaving Clarke drawing thin but with three outs as he held Ahrt 6h.

A flop of 3d Jc 8d however left Clarke drawing dead and the irrelevant 7c and Qd turn and river changed nothing meaning Philip Clarke is OUT, eliminated in 9th spot, winning £636.

The remaining eight battle on...

Seat 9: Paul Garnham

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20906&g2_serialNumber=1)

good luck Matt & Paul

Having been lulled into a wonderful false sense of security by there being full accurate counts done in every preceding break, we totally slacked off and didn't get them in the last one.  But this time there weren't any, so we're going to do it while action is taking place. 

Ya slackers!   ;slavedriver;

Janood Miah just raised to 23k from UTG, only to be met by interest from the chipped up Dean Ellis two seats to his left, who after a little thought decided to re-raise all-in.

All folded back to Miah who insta-called as you do with pocket Kings, only to find Ellis had made the rather odd decision to go for it with K-Q.

(http://www.tescocredit.co.uk/Images/Oops.jpg)

Oops!

A flop of Th Aspades 8s piqued a little interest in the crowd as a Jack would have provided a fortuitous outdraw for Ellis, but the 3h then Qh on the turn and river were of no use, meaning a giant Miah sized hole in Ellis' stack has just been made. He's still got some chips, but may regret that rash decision later...

Apologies for the lack of counts at this stage, that busy beaver Jen (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=198) Mason (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=198) is on the case right now and will return shortly with the lay of the land.

All right already, Laxie you slave driver...

11   1   Ian King -- 205k
11   2   Nick Carter -- 225k
11   3   Junood Miah -- 158k
11   4  Philip Clarke -- OUT
11   5   Matt Russell -- 100k
11   6   Dean Ellis -- 20k
11   7   James Moult -- 115k
11   8   Paul Pitchford -- 68k
11   9   Paul Garnham -- 145k

Desperately stacked Ellis just went for it, calling all in with K-5 after a raise from King...who held K-Q.  Lucky for him the board came J-9-7-T-Q to straighten them both...

Good luck M3boy! Take it down!

 That's more like it!  Good woman.  Great updates all week-end.  Off to the pub now (LDO), but will back later to make sure you've kept up with your obligations.  Feel my wrath!!!   rotflmfao   99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beeeeeer....take one down and pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall.

lolol

98 bottles of beer on the wall, 98 bottles of beeeeeer....take one down and pass it around, 97 bottles of beer on the wall

have a good yin :)

Paul Pitches a curveball...

Paul Pitchford limps for 8k (not seen too much at this stage), small blind Nick Carter completes and big blind Matt Russell checks. 
Flop: Js Kc 3h  Check to Paul who bets 16k, with a call from Nick only.
Turn:  Ks Check-check.
River: 9c  Check to Paul who now bets 40k, called quickly by Nick only for him to muck upon seeing the rivered straight made by Paul's Qh Ts.

Shaking his head he pays Paul off saying, "I haven't seen you play a hand like that all night..."

The early play at the final table has been a tad questionable, but this hand had everyone utterly bemused at the play.

It was all started when Ian King min riased UTG to 16k and was re-raised to 40k by Janood in seat three.

Ellis called off his microstack and King now also made the call.

The flop fell Qc 9h Ts, King checked and Janood now moved in for 130k or so. With a fairly obvious big hand here, when King insta-called, everyone at the table thought he must have a set, maybe got there for a striaght with KJ?

No, in fact he had K-T for 2nd pair!!!!

The cat's reaction??

(http://media.urbandictionary.com/image/large/zomg-43693.jpg)

Janood tabled the superior A-Q, although the dealer was about to stick a dagger in the heart of his tournament hopes as a Td spiked on the turn, leaving him drawing to 2 outs and when the river blanked, we had lost two players in one fell swoop.

Dean Ellis is OUT, eliminated in 8th place winning £795 (apologies his hand was missed in the ensuing melee after that hand)

and the unfortunate Junood Miah is also OUT, eliminated in 7th place winning £1,113

whilst Ian King chuckled to himself at his marvellous play and stacked up his chips with an ear to ear grin!

Nice 1 M3. Keep it up!

+1

Moult Sheds Tight Image...

Short stacked Jim Moult just pushed under the gun for around 55k.  There was a brief dwell as small blind Nick Carter thought about it, and no resistance at all from Matt in the big blind.  He flipped 6c 4c when they gave it up, and got the odd raised eyebrow.

go m3 take it down!

Matt (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2115) Russell (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2115) found himself short with just 25k chips to his name, so as soon as he found a playable hand in T-J, he moved in from middle position.

Paul Pitchford elected to isolate, re-raising to 50k or so, which got everyone else out of the way and Matt may have felt he was in big trouble here, but once Paul flipped over pocket sevens, he was actually in a good position to more than double through.

The flop came Ac Aspades 9c 2h 2d to throw a bucket of cold water over any notion of doubling through however, meaning Paul's two pair took down the pot and we lose yet one more.

Matt (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2115) Russell (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=2115) is OUT, eliminated in 6th spot, winning £1,590 for his troubles.

Here he is chatting to his friends on the rail about his demise, but nice profit nonetheless...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20908&g2_serialNumber=1)

whilst Paul is seen buffering his stack with the smoking remnants of Russell's remaining chips as Jim (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1380) Moult (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1380) and M3boy watch on with amusing facial expressions.

Ooh I say Jim!

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20910&g2_serialNumber=1)

Gooo the blondes!!!!!!

Great updates BTW, but tell the cat to stop inventing words. I counted at least 10 in yesterday's effort.

Paul vs. Paul ------ Paul WINS

Paul Garnham, now the short stack after the elimination of Matt, found a spot to push preflop with Jh Qd... unfortunately he ran straight into the Ad Qh of Paul Pitchford.
Flop: 9s Ad Tc
Turn: 7h
River: 8d

Garnham looks astounded as he doubles through to c.100k, looks at the bottom of his shoe for no apparent reason, and settles back into the game.

Well played Matt.  NH GG WP etc.

:)up

Nick Carter chips at Ian King's stack - moving in for around 170k on the button after cutoff King made it 35k to go, he was eventually rewarded with a flopless pot, and showed the table (and King, more to the point) Aspades Kd.  The very next hand he raised to 25k which was enough to pick up the 5k/10k blinds - in spite of the fact that most of the chips reside with King and Pitchford, don't write off Carter just yet...

Approximate chip counts at this point.

Jim Moult - 270k (you'll see why in a moment!)
Paul Pitchford - 240k
Ian King - 240k
Nick Carter - 220k
Paul Garnham - 160k

So Jim appears to be the chip leader at this stage...and this is how.

Holding A-T in the big blind, he decided to move over the top of a button raise from Ian King with A-T.

A reasonable move given the large blind sizes, but unfortunately for him King had A-K and made the call dominating Jim's hand.

It was looking bleak for Jim and his three outs, but the dealer was feeling benevolent to him and laid out a Mout-ilicious (it's a real word Red Dog, honest!) flop of 4s Td 3h.

It was King drawing thin now, ironically needing a King, abut the 9s on the turn and trip-making Ts on the river were of no use, meaning Jim somewhat fortuitously doubles through to what appears to be the chip lead!

"I said may the luckiest donk win!" said Nick Carter with a broad grin across his face and a slightly sheepish looking Jim could barely conceal his own smile as he raked in the pot...

Nice one Jim!!!

Bookiebasher FTW.

[X]  Jim runs good

[X]  I'm pleased about that

HUGE HAND ALERT

What alerted me personally to the advent of this monster pot was a noise equivalent to someone setting off one of those domino runs which cover the inside of sports centres - it was the sound of Nick Carter re-raising all in preflop for around 220k over Jim Moult.  Perhaps it was shakey hands, or just a pleasingly chaotic accident, but when he was called by Jim (who only just covered him) he revealed the Ad Ahrt.  Jim's Ac Ks was in big trouble, and although one King appeared on the flop, there was no more help and Jim was felted...

Meanwhile a mountain of green 1k chips had turned into a lake, and it required three staff members to sort out exactly how much Jim needed to hand Nick over.  Simon Trumper was announcing the hand, and its consequences, saying, "Nick Carter has doubled up.  Unfortunately it's going to take three hours to find out how much for."

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20912&g2_serialNumber=1)

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20914&g2_serialNumber=1)

After that HUUUUUUUGGGGGE hand, Jim was left with shrapnel of around 25k and piled it into the middle with Qc 4c, picking up a call from M3boy and Nick Carter.

The two active players checked down a flop of 5s Td 3c 2c 7d to the river, Nick announcing "ONE PAIR!" and showing 3-4 which was good for the pot which meant...

Jim Moult is OUT, eliminated in 5th spot, winning £2,067 for his performance. GG Bookiebasher!

Here he is in happier times.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20916&g2_serialNumber=1)

Instabok.

 ;shame;

Primo instabok  ;djinn;

And just as we were dotting 'i's, crossing ts and wrapping up Jim's exit, we returned to the table to find Paul Pitchford's stack apparently absent.

I'm never happy to miss an elimination. In fact, this was my face on hearing his exit had slipped under the radar.

(http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/funny-pictures-zomg-run-cat-woman-screams.jpg)

Nonetheless he is OUT, Paul Pitchford, eliminated in 4th spot for £2,862

This leaves Paul Garnham, Ian King and Nick Carter three handed to contend the title...

gogogoogo Nick Carter (local leeds guy).

If not M3boy, wii.

So this is what your final table looks like now - three handed, with King with the biggest stack, Carter second, and Garnham short but still able to pick his shoving spots.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20918&g2_serialNumber=1)

Carter USM!!! go go go

M3boy just shoved on the button for the second round in a row, but this time, Nick Carter looked him up, holding pocket sevens.

M3boy admitted he had only looked at one card but the other card turned out to be co-ordinated as he flipped Jh Qd, his lucky hand from earlier.

The board came 2s 9h 9c Ts, meaning although Paul hadn't hit yet, he had an open ended straight draw, double paired board draw and pair draw. Lots of outs for him then, 17 in fact and one of them arrived in the form of the Jd on the river to save him and double him through to 150k+, which is stilll looking quite short at this point...

Chips, and where they're at:

Paul Garnham: 145k
Ian King: 460k
Nick Carter: 430k

Go M3boy

come on Paul.

get it won!!!

what he said!

p.s any blondes left?

Sounds like Paul's in with a shout. If only he could get a bit of luck, he might win this one.

Inidentally the £200 freezeout final table is taking place simultaneously with and side-by-side to the £300 comp. And guess what?

Tikay is still there!!! Five handed! Apparently he has only passed KK four times on eight high boards so far, and one time even bravely ventured a bet.

Although when he faced stiff resistance in the form of a call from one player, he obviously gave up on the pot...

Oops bokked, Tony out fifth!

I'm sure your words will prove to be a great boon to Paul and assist him to the title.

In fact, here comes Jen with news!!!

FACT!

Paul Garnham finishes in 3rd place winning £4,452

All in preflop one more time, and this time with more, for more.  Nick Carter stood up as his Ac Kd faced off against Paul's 9c 9h.  Paul dodged the overs on the flop, but a Ks on the turn meant he was drawing to one of two nines on the river... it wasn't to be and we are now heads up.

well played paul great effort

unlucky Paul. Great result tho wp ;applause; ;applause; ;applause; ;applause; ;applause;

unlucky Paul wp ;applause;

 ;applause;

Good result, top bloke, awesome accountant.

FACT

Unlucky M3BOY

Was hoping you would take this down

My old sparing partner from 2000/2001 the days of VC Poker.

Regards

M

go on carter, scooooooooop.

Great to see multidisciplinary athletes circling the poker tour.

(http://www.jimloy.com/bowling/7-10.gif)

Did you write this book?

(http://press.princeton.edu/images/k7484.gif)

So far the heads up has failed to bring any showdowns.  Quite a bit of button limping going on, but still both players picking spots to raise the other off.  Only one flop-seen checkraise, from Nick.  Er... that is all.  So far it's about 450k to Nick, and 650k to Ian.

No. Derek Bok wrote that. It says so at the top.

Is this the story of your life?

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20920&g2_serialNumber=1)

Apologies for the scarcity of updates at the moment.

So far there have been few pots of note, although Nick Carter has eked out a slim advantage thusfar with a 600k to 400k lead.

We wait with baited breath for the fireworks to go off but it has been a cagey affair so far...

They are getting through a lot of hands, as many as expert dealer Mathilde (who, I believe, has trained the DTD dealers herself) can dish out.  Nick praises the structure which allows for "so much play in the heads up game."  They aren't doing a lot of dwelling, and this is one of the fastest paced heads ups I've seen in a while, in terms of hands per hour if not aggression.

Nick did just win a nice pot (and possibly instil a little tilt) raising 25k preflop and getting a call from Ian.  He then checked behind on the Jc 8c 5c flop, but bet 30k on the Ahrt turn, which won him the pot.  He turned over 7s 2s, saying, "It was the only way I could win."

That bluff with 7-2 may just have knocked Ian for six a little.

He was just seen betting 25k on a 4h 8h 5c flop - called by Nick - then betting 50k on the 5d turn - called by Nick - and following up with a 75k bullet on the 7d river, to which Nick responded by immediately moving all-in.

Ian didn't look happy but passed and now Nick has a healthy lead and looks like the more imaginative heads up player at the moment...

****************BREAK***************

As the clock counted down to the end of the level, a final hand was just being dealt.  Nick limped on the button again, and Ian just instantly moved all in for 400k.  Pass.  Crikey. Wonder if the break will restore calm or if a new period of the tournament has started...

Big, no, crucial, perhaps deciding pot...

They get to the turn with a little bit of action, but not enough to prepare the rail for what happens next...
With the board standing 6h 4s Td 5h Ian King bets out 75k.  Nick Carter moves all in... and gets the call!
Nick shows (reluctantly):  4h 9h
Ian shows: 4d 7c for the same pair and the up'n'down - in bad shape against the flush draw.

River: Kd  and Nick's Nine actually plays, giving him now a giant stack of 986,500 to Ian's 75k.

I knew Nick would take it heads up. I tried to avoid him for 2 days!!!

Providing the 75k of Ian doesn't hold up of course. Pitty my QQ didn't hold up against Ians 66 mind as I'd have liked to play Nick heads up. Well done though guys and thanks to DTD and Blonde!

Paul Pitchford!

After that hand Ian was in the big blind with 20k invested, so when Nick set him in, he felt with just over 50k back he had to call and did so with 5-3.

It turned out he was live against Nick's K-6 suited though an 8-8-6 flop looked to have sealed his fate.

A 7 on the turn gave him a straight draw though...

...and the river came...

...wait for it...

...ok I'll stop now. The river was a NINE - completing Ian's straight and doubling him up to 160k or so.

---

The next few hands consisted mainly of Ian shoving from the button and Nick passing but then this hand played out.

Ian raised from the button and Nick re-raised, only for Ian to instantly announce all-in. Nick had too much invested to pass really, especially as he held pocket Jacks!

Ian said "yep, got one" as he flipped his Q-8 offsuit, presumably referring to his single overcard.

The flop fell 8c 6h Jd! Top set for Nick and it looked like it was all over.

The turn was the Js!

Amazing, an unassailable hand of quads meant the river was irrelevant and sent Ian to the rail.

Ian King is OUT, eliminated in 2nd place, winning £6,678

and Nick Carter is the CHAMPION of the DTD £300 deepstack freezeout, winning £11,130!

Congratulations to Nick, who played some cracking poker and played a really good heads up game to take down the tournament.

 :cheers: :cheers: ;charmaine; ;charmaine; ;letsparty; ;letsparty; ;letsparty; :cheers: :cheers:

Some photos to follow shortly.

Hi Paul, thanks for posting - it was quite a strange final indeed..you had a bit of a poor run of luck there but congrats nonetheless to you and Nick.  We're looking at early eviction from our Premier Inn, so this might be the end... ;stickaforkinme; and see you railers in Barcelona for the EPT, our next blonde jaunt.  Sunshine, here I come.  :)

nice result mr P , well done :)

After gamely trying to get his broken lemon of a laptop to put these photos up, he's given up, so I give you:

The Final Handshake
(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20922&g2_serialNumber=1)

Nick hugging railer mate
(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20924&g2_serialNumber=1)

An overwhelmed Nick just going to sleep on his feet, his work done.
(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=20926&g2_serialNumber=1)

Thanks for following developments folks. We've had a great time at DTD as usual where Simon and the DTD staff have made us feel extremely welcome so thanks for that.

And congratulations to Nick Carter for a splendid performance.

In his own words "The luckiest donk won!" Well played :)

So that's it from me and Jen. We'll be at the Barcelona EPT next so see you there for Sangria, Paella and of course some snazzy poker but for now...

 ;stickaforkinme;

Congrats to Nick Carter! Well played mate and you were due a big score!

wiiiiiiiiiiiii, Wp Nick.

Get Carter!!

Well played.

Good game and great updates.

 ;hattip;

Played with Carter a few times, hes a class act. gg.

+1